]]>If you’re looking for simple recipes with ground beef, you may want to give this carne molida recipe a try. Carne molida is a Puerto Rican ground beef recipe that is similar to picadillo (a name that might be more familiar). However, Puerto Rican carne molida is slightly different than Cuban picadillo and is cooked with potatoes and carrots. They’re both delicious dishes, though!

I grew up eating carne molida and it’s still a regular part of my weekly menu plan. It’s such an easy ground beef recipe and it’s pretty versatile too, since you can use it as a filling for other foods. I love to eat it served over white rice, as does my husband. Something I often do is substitute the ground beef with ground turkey to make my carne molida recipe a bit healthier! If you want to learn how to make the real deal, here’s my family’s recipe for Puerto Rican carne molida!

]]>http://www.modernmami.com/latino-latina-culture/puerto-rico/carne-molida-ground-beef-recipe/feed/24Southwestern Empanadas: Easy Appetizer for Cinco de Mayo & Other Celebrations! {Recipe}http://www.modernmami.com/recipes/southwestern-empanadas-simple-easy-appetizer-recipe-for-cinco-de-mayo/
http://www.modernmami.com/recipes/southwestern-empanadas-simple-easy-appetizer-recipe-for-cinco-de-mayo/#commentsTue, 30 Apr 2013 17:43:55 +0000http://www.modernmami.com/?p=6896Cinco de Mayo is coming up and though this isn’t a holiday our family particularly celebrates, I know many of you may be looking for simple and easy recipes you can make to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with friends and family. A simple yet fun appetizer idea is to make empanadas! Empanadas are traditionally meat-filled […]

]]>Cinco de Mayo is coming up and though this isn’t a holiday our family particularly celebrates, I know many of you may be looking for simple and easy recipes you can make to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with friends and family. A simple yet fun appetizer idea is to make empanadas! Empanadas are traditionally meat-filled patties you can eat as a snack or appetizer and are common to most Latin American and Caribbean cultures, though known by different names. In Puerto Rico, we typically call them pastelillos de carne, though parts of the island also call them empanadas.

Empanadas are most commonly filled with ground beef, though they can also be filled with chicken, crab meat, or cheese. Growing up in Puerto Rico, I also ate many pizza-filled pastelillos! For these Cinco de Mayo inspired empanadas, I decided to give my carne molida recipe a southwestern twist, making this the perfect appetizer for your Cindo de Mayo celebration! (Truly, these southwestern empanadas are a great appetizer idea for any occasion!) Check out the simple recipe below, with most ingredients easily found at Walmart!

Directions

Cook ground beef per this carne molida recipe (picadillo-style). You can leave the potatoes and carrots out, if you prefer.

Add black beans and corn.

Cover and continue cooking on low heat until black beans and corn are heated.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and spray with cooking spray.

Line empanada discs on cookie sheet, leaving ample space between each one.

Fill each disc with ground beef mixture in the middle. It’s up to you how much filling you want to add – use your discretion so that it’s not over-filled, but so each empanada has enough filling when eating.

Fold each empanada disc half-way to make a half-moon shape and pinch closed with a fork around the edge.

Brush each empanada with olive oil and bake in preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.